Kayak enthusiasts what material do you like the most? Do you like the rotomolded plastic yaks that are a bit heavier but REALLY handle abuse well or do you prefer the lighter and more responsive fiberglass boats? They both have their pros and cons when it comes to performance vs strength and durability.

This pic is of a Wilderness Systems boat (Cape Horn 170 I believe) that encountered some surf in the north east and snapped.



Sure it was not designed to surf large waves but I can’t help but wonder how the boat could be made stronger without sacrificing too much in the weight dept. I have a Wilderness Systems Zephyr 160 Pro with a crack in its hull that I need to repair. I am tempted to take it to my friend in VA beach who is a surfboard shaper to inquire about adding carbon fiber stringers or something similar to what the new surfboards are using to add some strength.


I really liked how my fiberglass boat paddled but for worry free fun I am realizing it’s also nice to have a good plastic boat. I am currently paddling a 15 ft Zephyr which is a great boat but unfortunately it’s pretty easy to tip. If you look carefully will notice the cockpit is full of water. I took this pic after flipping the boat in my lake trying out a spray skirt for the first time.

I’m a fanboy for Jackson boats.

They offer some thermoformed plastic to save weight but most are molded plastic and all of their whitewater boats are. Also made in TN if it makes a difference to you. I’ve owned five of their boats and all have handled well and have been sturdy and reliable.

You may check out one of the Karma variations (e.g., Karma RG) or the Journey to see if they meet your needs.

http://jacksonkayak.com/jk-kayaks/

Not a kayak but I'm pretty sure my Mad River Explorer 16 was a rotomolded boat. I was impressed with it but we sold it two years ago and bought a large Hala Daze paddleboard. I was surprised how much I got for it because apparently they stopped making them that way. The vibe I got was that the rotomolded was only second to carbon fiber in terms of strength/weight but the cost may be higher than current tech. And that they can take a beating.

Granted, this is just what I recall from researching things before I put my canoe up for sale. It kept almost all of it's original value around 10 years later so that's indicative of a quality material.

bigeinkcmo, yepp. Mad River’s RM plastic boats are great. I have had a passage 16 for a few years. It’s a bit heavy but it is damn strong and paddles pretty well. I was looking at their prices used online and they do hold their value incredibly well.

I prefer SOTs and along those lines, I’m a huge fan of WS’ Tarpon series. Mrs.BurtonRW and I have a pair of 120s which are perfect for our needs, but for touring, I might step up to the 140.

-Rob

Cool pic! My friends have the same model. I wished my daughters (7 & 9) would have wanted to go out in the canoe as much as me but they like to be more in the water. We ended up getting them an inexpensive 6ft kayak to play around on as well. The good news is paddleboarding has gotten us out on the water more often, so that’s a win in my book.

I have a Tarpon 140. I like it, but haven't taken it out in a while.

quote:

Originally posted by BurtonRW:
I prefer SOTs and along those lines, I’m a huge fan of WS’ Tarpon series. Mrs.BurtonRW and I have a pair of 120s which are perfect for our needs, but for touring, I might step up to the 140.

-Rob

In the ocean I have used both, but much prefer a roto-molded sit-on-top kayak. If you encounter rough surf, or want to surf waves with them, they are more stable and they cannot be swamped.

Well I just pulled the trigger on this. I’ll be picking it up sometime next week.

Stitch & glue CLC Shearwater hybrid.

Wow. Now that moves things in a whole different direction. *drool*

Stickman, how good are your bracing and rolling skills? How much instruction have you had in surf zone launching and landing?

Sjtill and I once went on a trip whose leader had been leading kayak trips for 23 years. He owned his boats and they were fiberglass doubles. I wonder what he's up to now.

Stickman, looks like "hybrid" means stitch and glue hull, strip-built deck? That looks very very nice. Did you build it, have it built, buy used?
Wait, I see dilettante has posted first...that's a surprise, hi son!

Dilettante, we need to see about building us one or two of those!!!

Yepp hybrid means stitch and glue hull with cedar strip deck. I didn’t build it but I am building one like it (stitch and glue hull and deck). Hopefully this completed version will motivate me to finish mine.

I found it used on a local online marketplace. The price was just too good to pass up. It has a few minor cosmetic issues but nothing that will be hard to fix.

I built a CLC Chesapeake 17 over 20 years ago. For whatever reason, I didn't finish it. All that's left is glueing the cockpit rim on, installing the seat, cutting holes for the hatches, and installing deck rigging. Probably 5 hours worth of work and less than $100 in materials. I need to get it done. It'll be less than 50 pounds when done.

I hear you trapper. My Shearwater is probably 70-80% complete. I’ll probably never build a cedar strip boat but I’ll sure scoop one up for less than what a kit to build one costs. It’s functional artwork.

I like the CLC Chesapeake 17 & 18, they would be excellent boats to go out exploring and camping for a few days.

That's a thing of beauty. We were paddleborading last summer at Chatfield State Park and a large group had several kayaks and a couple of wood ones. Very elegant and truly like a piece of art.

quote:

Originally posted by caglio:
I have a Tarpon 140. I like it, but haven't taken it out in a while.

quote:

Originally posted by BurtonRW:
I prefer SOTs and along those lines, I’m a huge fan of WS’ Tarpon series. Mrs.BurtonRW and I have a pair of 120s which are perfect for our needs, but for touring, I might step up to the 140.

-Rob

Another Tarpon 140 owner her.

I like the rotomolded hulls, the trade off between light weight vs toughness was a no brainer for me because of how I use it. I can drive close enough to most of the launches that I use so the heavier weight was not an issue. There are also enough launches here that I don't have to make any really long paddles to get to were I want to fish at. I have not used it in the surf yet but will in the future once I get more comfortable with it.

If I was getting one strictly for touring I would go as light and as long as I could.

That’s a wall hanger....too pretty to take out.

Kayaks are extremely personal and MUST be tried on so to speak to find a good fit.

Having said that, let me give you my personal opinion as one who has kayaked dozens of different boats from Costa Rica, to The Keys and Europe on multi day trips.

There is no one size fits all and many experienced paddlers will have several boats from which to choose depending on the water and length of their trip.

SIT's are fine for day paddling in lakes bays etc. I really like the Tarpon Series as someone mentioned above

If you are into paddling longer distances then a Sit Inside can be a great boat. Within this category there are several subcategories...do you want a rudder or a not. How much volume do you and the storage compartments need to have. What kind of material should it be made of? For everyday use and banging around a poly shell will last for years with little maintenance. If the distances are getting longer (and your skills are improving) then you may want a narrower boat and one that's made out of fiberglass. Then you can also get a carbon fiber boat that is extremely light and very strong but be prepared to pay over $4000 for one.

I really like the older Neeky Looksha IV but they are no longer being made....

The Shearwater 17 im building has a carbon fiber reinforced cockpit. It’s a pain to work with.

^That's cool. If I were to build another one and paint the hull, I'd look into carbon fiber on the outside as well.